Celebrate those ‘salt of the earth’ friends
On this Earth Day weekend, I’m celebrating “down-toearth” kindnesses of gardening friends.
Over coffee one Saturday morning with my friend Sallie, I indulged in a brief lamentation over the falling-apart nature of structures in my garden, including two old potting tables with rotting slats.
That afternoon, Sallie appeared in the back garden with her husband, Les, a skilled carpenter. He surveyed the general ruin of the table beside the greenhouse and offered to replace the slats.
On the day Les arrived with the replacement flats, another friend had come by to help out with some garden work. That afternoon we raked and weeded a patch of ground in a wooded area behind the garden shed where I knew a pre-emergent carpeting of tiny native starflowers lurked beneath the winter’s accumulated debris.
Our work cleared a canvas for a soon-to-be lovely picture — whorls of dainty leaves and, in May, tiny pinkish-white flowers. Because the flower stems are so thin, the tiny blooms seem to hang in the air, like stars. Microbiome of the soil: By now, most of us have become familiar with the term “microbiome,” meaning the collection of microorganisms that inhabit a particular environment. A human body is home to trillions of bacteria and other microbes, collectively known as the body’s microbiome.
That microbiome keeps us alive by protecting us against germs, producing vitamins, and breaking down food to release energy.
In the same way, the microbiome of the soil in our gardens — bacteria, fungi and other organisms — keeps that soil, and our plants, alive. The soil’s beneficial microbes and our plants bond together in a symbiotic relationship. Plant roots distribute food into the soil. That nourishment feeds beneficial organisms, causing their numbers to increase explosively. In turn, those organisms release nutrients to the plants and help to protect them from disease.
As it benefits the human body to consume whole, unprocessed foods that nurture beneficial rather than pathogenic microbes in the gut, the soil will be at its most vital when fed with natural materials that nurture a healthy diversity of helpful microbial life. Compost is the heavy lifter in this enterprise, as are natural-source, unprocessed fertilizers such as lime, seed meals and kelp meal.
To help ensure healthy microbial ecosystems in their bodies, some people ingest beneficial bacteria in the form of probiotics. Equivalent “pro-biotics” for the soil are such products as EM (Effective Microorganisms) and Bokashi. Both are sold at some garden centres and farm supply stores. Earth Day: As we celebrate Earth Day this weekend, may we acknowledge, appreciate and nurture the community of beneficial organisms in our soils, as we give thanks also for the blessing of generous friends who help us to more fully enjoy our gardens.
Garden Events
Orchid meeting. The Victoria Orchid Society will meet on Monday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Gordon Head United Church Hall, 4201 Tyndall Ave. Featured will be the society’s annual auction of about 100 orchids. The event is open to the public. View Royal meeting. The View Royal Garden Club will meet on Wednesday, April 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Wheeley Hall, 500 Admirals Rd. in Esquimalt. Bruce Carter, owner of Wes-Tech Irrigation Systems, will describe techniques for keeping watering systems working efficiently. The presentation will include some hands-on practice. A judged mini show will feature exhibits from members’ gardens and there will be a sale of plants and garden items. Non-member drop-in fee $5. Sooke meeting. The Sooke Garden Club will meet on Wednesday, April 25, at 7 p.m. in St. Rose of Lima Church, 2191 Townsend Rd. Guest speaker will be Lori Weidenhammer, author of Victory Garden for Bees. Non-member drop-in fee $5. HCP workshops. The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, 505 Quayle Rd. in Saanich, is offering the following workshops. To register call 250-479-6162. hcp.ca. • Meadowscaping for Biodiversity, Saturday, April 28, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Learn how to grow a thriving native wildflower meadow. HCP members $45, others $60. • Twining with Soft Materials, Saturday, April 28, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Use rush, sedge and flower leaves to make a small bowl-shaped basket. If the class is full another will be added on Sunday, April 29. Members $120, others $140. • Healthy Soils: Compost Tea for the Garden, Sunday, April 29, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Learn how to brew and use compost tea. Members $35, others $40.